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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227887">After the Storm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbanshee/pseuds/bansheequeen'>bansheequeen (queenbanshee)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian'>xtremeroswellian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Moving Targets [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Smallville</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempted Murder, Bruce Wayne's ego, Explosions, F/M, Fingering, Goodbye Clocktower, Guilt, Intense Love making, Porn with Feelings, Shock, Vaginal Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:26:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,711</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbanshee/pseuds/bansheequeen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Tess' warning, it was only a matter of time before Lex made his move, and once he did, the team might have to trust in allies that some of them might not agree with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Oliver Queen/Chloe Sullivan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Moving Targets [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748179</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Streets of Metropolis -- January 22, 2011</b>
</p><p>Chloe just ran, she didn't see people, cars or traffic lights, her heart was beating so fast, it was making her chest hurt. She pushed her way through the crowd that was already forming around the area surrounding the Clocktower, and she heard people complaining as she bumped into them, but she didn't care, her hands were shaking by the time she reached the front of the building and the police had already surrounded the area.</p><p>She walked right up to the police tape and didn't think twice before ducking under it, her eyes wide as she looked around.</p><p>"Ma'am you can't get in here," a cop placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned around to look at him.</p><p>"Oliver Queen, I need to find him," she told him urgently.</p><p>"You're going to have to stay behind the tape, Ma'am," he said gently. "We don't know anything about survivors or victims of the explosion at this point."</p><p>"He was up there," she told him, holding on to her phone tightly and glancing up at the smoke, "which floor was the explosion on? He might still be trapped on the top, you need to get someone to bring a helicopter and help him out." She told him tightly, her jaw set as she spoke to the policeman.</p><p>"We don't <i>know</i> which floor the explosion was on and until we do, we can't risk anyone going in that building. There could be more explosives rigged to blow any second. You're going to have to stand back." This time his voice was more firm.</p><p>Chloe took a deep breath and looked at him, "call detective J'onn J'onzz." She told him firmly.</p><p>"Detective J'onzz is a homicide worker, and if this turns out to be an intentional blast--"</p><p>Without warning a second explosion rocked the building and the officer quickly ushered the people farther back.</p><p>Chloe ducked on instinct and when she looked up again, she had been pushed outside the police line and her stomach turned even more. She gasped a little and stared for a long moment, then looked down at her phone, her hands were shaking as she called J'onn's phone.</p><p>The policeman hurried off, leaving his co-workers to keep the crowd at bay.</p><p>"Chloe?"</p><p>She stilled, eyes wide as she turned around.</p><p>Oliver stood a few feet away, his clothes covered in dirt and soot, his shirt ripped at the sleeve. He limped toward her, a large cut across his forehead.</p><p>Swallowing hard, she held her breath and ducked under the police line again, rushing toward him and wrapping her arms around him tightly.</p><p>He buried his face against her hair, holding her just as tightly in return.</p><p>"You're okay," she whispered against his ear, still holding on to him.</p><p>"I'm all right," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.</p><p>She pulled back after a long moment and looked up at him, her eyes still wide and she winced a little when she saw the blood on his forehead. She swallowed and lifted a hand to cup his cheek, "we need to let the paramedics look at you."</p><p>He shook his head a little, looking back toward the building. "They're gonna have their hands full," he murmured. "I'm all right."</p><p>Chloe didn't take her eyes off of his face even as he moved his head to look at the building, "then let's go, I'll call Dr. Hamilton and have him meet us at the Watchtower."</p><p>Oliver swallowed hard, nodding as he stared at the billowing smoke pouring from the building. "All right."</p><p>She watched him for a moment longer then moved to stand by his side, taking his hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulder since she had noticed the limping earlier, "just lean on me."</p><p>Feeling a little dazed, he allowed her to guide him away from the crowd, his arm still slung around her.</p><p>Once they had walked past the crowd and to the nearest corner, Chloe hailed a cab and helped Oliver inside. It was only a couple of blocks to the Watchtower, but there was no point in making him walk, she'd just tip the cab driver well.</p><p>"There were people in there," he whispered.</p><p>She looked over at him, her eyes widening a little as the driver took off after Chloe told him where to go, "are you sure?"</p><p>He rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sure."</p><p>"But you got out," she whispered to him, sitting up a little and watching him closely.</p><p>"I was already out," he murmured, shutting his eyes. "I was leaving. Just a few steps out of the building."</p><p>"You went back." She breathed, reaching to touch his face again.</p><p>"There were people in there," he repeated.</p><p>Chloe picked up her wallet when the cab driver pulled over and handed him all the cash she had in her wallet then got out of the car, helping Oliver out before picking up her phone and calling J'onn as they started inside the Watchtower, "J'onn? There's people inside the Clocktower," she told him, "he's fine, hurry."</p><p>Still looking dazed, Oliver followed her into the main room of Watchtower moments later. "How did you..."</p><p>"Watchtower has sensors in there," she told him, nodding at the still blinking screens, "when they went off, it let me know."</p><p>"Oh," he murmured, staring blankly at the screens.</p><p>"C'mon," she tightened her arm around him, "lay down, Dr. Hamilton will be here soon."</p><p>"I'm all right, Chloe." He slowly pulled away from her and moved to sit down on the sofa.</p><p>"Your leg hurts," she told him quietly, "you need to put it up."</p><p>Blinking, Oliver looked down at his left leg. His jeans were ripped at the knee, blood staining them. "Oh." He sat back on the sofa, reluctantly propping his leg up on the table in front of it.</p><p>Chloe picked up a pillow and placed it under his foot then removed his shoes, "I'll go get you some water."</p><p>"Thanks," he whispered, reaching out and catching her arm.</p><p>She paused and looked down at him, leaning down and kissing the top of his head, "keep your eyes open, that's a big cut on your forehead."</p><p>"All right." He swallowed hard.</p><p>"J'onn is in there, Ollie, there is not much more to do." She told him in a whisper.</p><p>"I should have gone back again."</p><p>"No," her eyes widened a little, "there was a second explosion, you wouldn't have been able to help and you would have gotten hurt too."</p><p>Oliver blew out a breath, shutting his eyes for a moment, then opening them again.</p><p>"I'll go get you water," she told him, brushing her thumb over his arm gently.</p><p>He nodded wordlessly, watching her head away and toward the small kitchen. He rubbed a hand over his face again, rising to his feet and heading toward the stairs.</p><p>Chloe was making her way back when she saw him standing, she paused and frowned, "what are you doing? Sit back down."</p><p>"I need to wash up," he answered, not glancing back at her as he began to walk up the steps.</p><p>She followed him and took his hand, "Ollie, look at me."</p><p>Oliver turned his head to meet her gaze.</p><p>She could tell he was in shock, he was staring blankly at things, "I need you to sit down for now, after Dr. Hamilton looks at you, I'll help you clean up, okay?"</p><p>"Someone said my name." Emil stepped into the main room, carrying a bag in one hand, a worried frown on his face.</p><p>Chloe turned to look at him and sighed softly in relief, "thank you for coming so quickly," she told him before looking over at Ollie again, "c'mon, let's get back to the couch."</p><p>Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly, allowing her to guide him over to the sofa once more.</p><p>Emil moved over to the sofa, as well, setting his bag on the coffee table. "Were you both in the explosion?" he asked with a frown.</p><p>She stood by the couch and looked from Ollie to Emil, then shook her head, "he's in shock," she said quietly.</p><p>"I see that," Emil responded, sitting in front of Oliver and examining the cut on his forehead. "Not deep enough to need stitches," he said after a moment, glancing up at Chloe.</p><p>Chloe nodded a little and looked at Ollie, "that's good..." she turned to Emil again, "his leg is also hurt."</p><p>"It's just a cut," Oliver murmured.</p><p>"I'm sure it is, but why don't I take a look just in case?" he suggested.</p><p>"C'mon, Ollie," she told him quietly, moving to sit down next to him.</p><p>Oliver let out a breath and reluctantly extended his leg, propping it up on the table without a word.</p><p>Chloe pursed her lips together and placed her hand on top of his, squeezing it gently and looking over at the doctor.</p><p>Within a few moments, Emil had checked him over, bandaged his leg and prescribed him some pain killers, and pulled Chloe away toward the door. "Physically, he should be just fine."</p><p>"What should I do?" She asked in a whisper, glancing over at Ollie.</p><p>"He'll come out of the shock on his own." He paused, glancing at Oliver, as well, then back at Chloe. "So do what you do best. Don't let <i>him</i> do anything he'll end up regretting later."</p><p>"I won't," she nodded a little, turning back to the doctor, "thank you, Emil."</p><p>He nodded back at her and headed out of the Watchtower.</p><p>Chloe turned around and walked back to the couch, looking down at Oliver, "do you wanna go upstairs and get cleaned up now?"</p><p>Oliver drew in a breath and rose to his feet slowly. "Yeah." He gazed at her for a moment, then headed toward the stairs.</p><p>She followed, she still didn't know what exactly he had seen in there, he hadn't been talking, and while Emil finished bandaging his leg, she messaged the team and Lois and let them know they were both okay but asked them not to come into town because Ollie was in shock and needed some rest, because she knew Bart would run over as soon as he could to make sure they were okay otherwise.</p><p>He stepped into the bathroom, turning the sink on and letting it get warm before cupping water in his hands and splashing it onto his face, scrubbing at his skin with his hands. He shut his eyes, repeating the action and then moving to sit down on the edge of the tub.</p><p>"Is it okay if I help you?" She asked him quietly, watching him.</p><p>Oliver looked up at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Yeah," he whispered.</p><p>She let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding and stepped closer to him, nodding a little, "I'll get a towel and we can do it that way so we don't get the bandages wet."</p><p>"Okay," he said quietly, looking down at his hands blankly.</p><p>She started the hot water then reached to take his shirt off, watching him carefully as she did.</p><p>He lifted his arms wordlessly so she could get rid of his shirt, then exhaled slowly. He reached out and caught her wrist in a gentle grasp, tugging her closer and looking up at her.</p><p>Chloe looked down at him and lifted her other hand to cup his cheek as she stepped closer.</p><p>He rose to his feet once more, dipping his head to kiss her urgently, his other arm snaking out to circle her waist. When the kiss ended, he dropped his head, closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have left."</p><p>"Don't do this to yourself, Ollie," she told him quietly, wrapping an arm around him and brushing her fingers through his hair with her other hand, "there wasn't much you could have done."</p><p>"Here," he whispered. "I shouldn't have left <i>here</i>, Chloe."</p><p>"Oh," she tightened her arm around him, "I should have taken you to Smallville with me..." she paused and shook her head, "but you're okay, that's what matters." That wasn't the truth, but she didn't want him to worry about anything now.</p><p>Oliver pulled away from her, looking down at her. "I should have listened to Tess."</p><p>Chloe tightened her arm around him, not letting him move away, "we were doing what we could, there was no way you could have known this was going to happen. We won't make this mistake again."</p><p>"People died today," he murmured, his jaw tightening.</p><p>"We don't know that for sure," she told him, wrapping her other arm around him too.</p><p>"He's not going to get by with this."</p><p>"He's not," she agreed, holding his gaze, "but you are not doing anything alone."</p><p>Oliver's gaze finally focused on her face and he swallowed hard, nodding. That had been his mistake the first time around, assuming everything he did was right and justified and not listening to anyone else around him. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Watchtower -- January 23, 2011</b>
</p><p>There was light pressure on his chest and as he woke up suddenly with no idea why he'd awakened, he relaxed when he realized it was just Chloe's head resting against him. He closed his eyes once more, lifting a hand to her hair and swallowing hard. He slid his hand gently through the blond locks and then down her back, relaxing a little, further back into the couch, his arm tightening around her a bit, half for his own comfort and half in a protective nature.</p><p>Chloe sighed softly in her sleep and curled up into him a little more, brushing her cheek against his chest as she adjusted to the slight change in position.</p><p>He pressed his lips against the top of her head, growing still as he held her, just listening to the quiet sound of her breathing. He loved her. He'd meant it when he said it months ago, back before the entire conflict with Zod had been solved, before they'd learned that Lex Luthor was alive again. Back when things seemed so much less complicated. And that was a joke really. Things between them had been complicated from day one. No matter how hard either of them--mostly Chloe--had tried to ignore it--things between them had gone from 'having fun' to utterly consuming very, very quickly. And some part of him had known from the start that it would. There was no way he could be with her without falling for her. He just wished she understood that. Or that she would at least accept it. But right then wasn't the time to be thinking about them or their relationship or whatever they were calling it this week. They had, as usual, problems to deal with that were bigger than themselves.</p><p>He swallowed hard then opened his eyes, watching her for a moment and wondering if anything would ever just be <i>easy</i> for them.</p><p>She shifted once more and almost as if she could feel his eyes on her, she stretched slightly, her arm tightening around him as she did, and opened her eyes slowly. She hadn't really meant to fall asleep, but it looked like she had.</p><p>"Hi," he murmured, gazing at her intently.</p><p>"Hi," she whispered, sighing deeply as she tried to wake up a little more, her eyes on him, "am I hurting you?"</p><p>"No, I'm all right." He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead.</p><p>Chloe closed her eyes again and snuggled a little closer, still not fully awake, "do you need anything?"</p><p><i>You</i>, he thought immediately, followed by <i>Lex's head on a platter.</i> But he voiced neither thought. "No." He tightened his arm around her a little more.</p><p>She nodded a little and pressed a kiss to his chest. Unlike the previous night, she had managed to really sleep this time, probably because she had been so tense the previous day, but having his arm around her and listening to his heartbeat had been enough to help her relax enough for a good night sleep.</p><p>Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly at the feel of her lips against his skin. He slid his hand beneath the back of her shirt, rubbing her back lightly and letting his eyes remain shut for the time being.</p><p>Without opening her eyes, she sighed softly, brushing her hand against his side, "how are you feeling?" She asked quietly.</p><p>"A little sore," he admitted. "But I'll live." <i>Unlike the people that Lex killed yesterday to try and get to me</i>.</p><p>Chloe finally opened her eyes and looked up at him, "I wasn't asking physically."</p><p>Oliver nodded a little, reluctantly opening his eyes to look at her. "I know."</p><p>Pursing her lips together, she held his gaze for a moment then nodded slightly.</p><p>He closed his eyes once more, then rested his forehead against hers, wincing involuntarily but not moving away. "I need to watch the news," he murmured.</p><p>She noticed when he winced and pulled back, resting her forehead against his temple instead and placing a kiss on his cheek, "okay, I'll get it on the downstairs monitor."</p><p>He turned his head and kissed her mouth softly, lifting his hand to her cheek.</p><p>Chloe didn't hesitate before returning the kiss, hugging him again. The more awake she was, the more aware she was of just how close she had come to losing him.</p><p>Oliver deepened the kiss slowly, his fingers tangling in her hair.</p><p>Shifting, she moved until her elbow was pressing against the couch and she reached to cup his face as she kissed him back.</p><p>He curled his arm around her waist once more, and in one swift move, she was lying on the couch beneath him. He gazed down at her with dark eyes, his heart beating quickly in his chest.</p><p>Now she was fully awake, her eyes slightly wide and the look on his face was enough to send a shiver down her spine.</p><p>He searched her eyes, then dipped his head and kissed her again, this time with more urgency. With <i>need</i>.</p><p>She returned the kiss with just as much need, shifting beneath him and bending her knees up on either side of him so their bodies were better positioned.</p><p>Oliver groaned involuntarily as the movement pressed them together intimately. "I need you," he whispered against her mouth.</p><p>Closing her eyes tightly she ran her hands over his back, trying to pull him even closer, "you have me."</p><p><i>Do I?</i> he wondered, pushing the thought away almost as quickly as he had it, sliding a hand down to rest against her thigh. "Ditto," he whispered. "You know that, right?"</p><p>Chloe took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, "I know." She whispered, her heart beating fast against her chest.</p><p>Oliver held her gaze for a long moment, then lowered his mouth to her neck, kissing her there as his hand slid beneath her t-shirt.</p><p>She kept her eyes on him as much as she could, running her hands over his back and massaging it with her palms and pulling him to her at the same time.</p><p>He tugged her shirt up with one hand, his fingers brushing lightly over her breast. "I've missed this," he murmured.</p><p>Another shiver and she lifted her head, brushing her nose over his temple, "me too."</p><p>He ducked his head and kissed her bare skin softly, trailing his lips and tongue from one breast to the other and back again.</p><p>She moaned, closing her eyes and lifting her hips, brushing against his as she silently begged him for more contact.</p><p>Oliver smiled against her skin, sliding his free hand to her hips and tugging her pajama bottoms down, dragging her underwear down along with them. He pulled back to watch her expression as he slid his hand up to cup her core, his eyes darkening. "Better?" he murmured.</p><p>"Oh," she moaned again, closing her eyes tighter as her back arched, "yes."</p><p>He swallowed hard, watching her intently and sliding a finger inside her, then a second. "I thought so."</p><p>Chloe shifted and wrapped her legs around him, moving her hips against his hand, "more," she told him in a breath.</p><p>Oliver eased a third finger into her, keeping his eyes on her face as he thrust them in and out of her slowly, his thumb pressing down against her clit, circling it slowly, then more quickly. "Like that?" he murmured.</p><p>She cried out and her back arched, her body already tense and she was already so close, but it was always like that with him, he knew her, knew her body better than she did, and he undid her in no time.</p><p>He smiled at her reaction, speeding his fingers up a little more and pressing a kiss to her stomach. "Look at me."</p><p>With a deep breath, she forced her to open her eyes, opening them wide so she could look at him. Holding her gaze, he pressed his thumb against her a little more firmly and thrusting his fingers inside her once more.</p><p>It was all it took, she closed her eyes again and cried out loudly, holding on to his arms as her orgasm hit her, "Ollie," she cried again, shuddering.</p><p>He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, kissing his way back up her body until his mouth covered hers in an intense kiss.</p><p>Chloe kissed him back as well as she could as she still tried to catch her breath.</p><p>He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, brushing his nose against hers. "You're beautiful," he murmured.</p><p>She kept her eyes closed for a second longer then opened her eyes, holding his gaze for a moment then lifting her head and pressing her lips against his again.</p><p>Oliver kissed her again without hesitation, settling himself between her legs. Chloe shifted, lifting her feet and hooking her toes to his boxers and pushing them down without letting go of his mouth.</p><p>He grinned against her lips. "Even your feet are talented. Impressive," he teased.</p><p>She took a deep breath and grinned a little, brushing her nose against his, "don't wanna waste any time and risk us being interrupted."</p><p>"Someone interrupts us now and they're going to have a problem," he responded with a smirk, positioning himself and thrusting inside of her without further hesitation.</p><p>Moaning, her back arched again and she closed her eyes once more, focusing on feeling him inside of her for a long moment then opening her eyes, "they would be scarred enough," she breathed.</p><p>"Or we would be," he murmured, giving her a moment to adjust to his presence, gazing intently into her eyes.</p><p>Chloe fell silent and held his gaze, her eyes as dark as his as she lifted her hand to cup his cheek then slowly lifted her hips against his.</p><p>Oliver leaned into her touch, staring into her eyes as he pressed into her, meeting her halfway, one hand dropping to her hip. He shifted slightly, tilting her hips up just a little more, a slightly different angle.</p><p>She gasped quietly at the change but kept her eyes on him, sliding her fingers into his hair, moving with him slowly.</p><p>He breathed deeply, resting his forehead against hers, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Chloe," he whispered, closing his eyes.</p><p>"Careful," she whispered, brushing her thumb over his temple, next to the cut on his forehead.</p><p>"I'm okay," he murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth.</p><p>She turned her head a little and kissed him softly, thrusting her hips a little harder against his but not moving any faster.</p><p>He slid his arms beneath her for more leverage, thrusting into her farther as he gazed down at her once more.</p><p>Chloe wrapped her arms around him, locking her legs tightly around him, leaving only enough room for them to move, and taking a deep breath a she stared up at him, she didn't want to look away from him, just like the previous night, as she watched him sleep, she wanted to make sure he was really there. That she hadn't lost her memory of him, that she hadn't messed things up between them beyond repair, that she hadn't lost him in those explosions.</p><p>Oliver kept his gaze locked on hers, moving with her slowly, enjoying the intimacy and the intensity of their love-making. He rocked against her and leaned down, kissing her mouth tenderly.</p><p>She returned the kiss, shifting her arms under his and up around his back until her hands were resting on his shoulders as they moved together.</p><p>He dropped his head and kissed her neck, his tongue flicking out to lick at her skin, tasting her. Then he shifted slightly, lowering his head to press a kiss to her collarbone and scraping his teeth lightly over her shoulder.</p><p>Chloe shivered, keeping her eyes closed and turning her head, nuzzling his ear then taking his earlobe between her lips and sucking on it lightly.</p><p>Oliver groaned at that, shifting again and sliding a hand between them and resting at the juncture between her legs, rubbing her lightly once more, his heart beating more quickly in his chest.</p><p>She moaned right against his ear, her eyes opening as her muscles clung to him, trying to pull him further into her. She turned her head a little more and pressed her lips to his jaw, nibbling gently then kissing his skin.</p><p>He shuddered at the sound of her moaning, gripping onto her left thigh and dragging it higher up his body, thrusting into her more deeply, his eyes drifting shut at the feel of her surrounding him.</p><p>Chloe gasped, thrusting her hips up against him, clinging to him as much as she could and then her orgasm took her by surprise, she shuddered hard, her eyes closing as she cried his name once more.</p><p>He gritted his teeth, thrusting into her once more before his own orgasm hit and he dropped his head to her collarbone, shuddering again. "Chloe," he muttered, his breathing heavy.</p><p>As she tried to catch her breath, she kept her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, holding him to her as she turned her face and pressed her lips to his temple.</p><p>Blowing out a breath, he swallowed hard, sliding his arms beneath her once more and flipping them so she was lying on top of him so he didn't crush her. He shut his eyes, stroking her hair and then her back tenderly.</p><p>She adjusted to the new position and shifted, lifting a hand and running her fingers through his hair as she turned her face up to look at him.</p><p>He opened his eyes to look at her, as well, his heart still beating quickly as he lifted a hand to her cheek.</p><p>Chloe moved up a little and lifted her head, watching him in silence for a moment then leaning in and kissing him softly. </p><p>Oliver returned the kiss without hesitation, brushing his nose lightly against hers.</p><p>She pulled back after a moment and smiled a little, brushing her nose against his once more, "looks like we managed."</p><p>"Managed?" he echoed, kissing the corner of her mouth.</p><p>"Not to be interrupted," she told him, closing her eyes again and pressing her lips to his chin. </p><p>"Oh," he whispered, a small smile touching his lips. "Nice change."</p><p>"I know," she told him quietly, opening her eyes and looking up at him before kissing him softly again.</p><p>He closed his eyes as their lips met once more, his chest growing tight. Chloe wrapped her arm around him and held him to her as she kissed him slowly.  "I've missed you," he whispered against her mouth. They weren't the words he really wanted to say, but they were still true.</p><p>Her chest tightened and she pressed her nose against his cheek, she knew what he was telling her, "I missed you too..." she whispered and then, all of the sudden there was a loud noise, the Watchtower alarm went off and Chloe closed her eyes tighter for a moment before pushing away from him, "someone is trying to break in."</p><p>Oliver's arms tightened around her and he sat up quickly, setting her down on the sofa and rising to his feet, grabbing his boxers and jeans from the floor and tugging them on before moving to get his crossbow. Nocking an arrow into it, he moved to the rail of the stairs, aiming down below and pausing when he saw a familiar figure at the computer, shutting down the alarm. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered.</p><p>Chloe had managed to pull her clothes back on too and was by his side, stilling and blinking when the alarm stopped on it's own, before she could even touch the computer, "what the hell?" She asked, frowning when her eyes fell on the screen too, "oh..."</p><p>"Looks like we have a bat in the belfry," he said wryly.</p><p>She looked over at Oliver, her eyes still a little wide, "I can't believe he shut down my alarm system so quickly." She didn't know if she should be pissed or admire the man.</p><p>He sighed, raking a hand through his hair and moving away from the rail to grab his shirt.</p><p>With a deep breath, she ran her fingers through her hair and looked down at herself. She had managed to put on a tank top and pajama bottoms, that was hardly presentable, and not to mention, the place smelled like sex. </p><p>"If you wanna shower, I'll go deal with Mr-Walks-Right-In-Like-He-Owns-the-Place," he grumbled, tugging his shirt on over his head and returning the crossbow to its place in the secret compartment.</p><p>Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head, "I wanna see what he's doing here."</p><p>"Oh, so do I," he responded, his jaw tight as he headed for the stairs.</p><p>She sighed and shook her head a little, following Oliver down, "calm down, he's probably trying to help."</p><p>"Hey, I'm calm," Oliver retorted, taking the steps two at a time and ignoring the pain that shot up his knee at the quick movement.</p><p>"Where are you going?" She called, then looked over at the monitor, watching as Bruce stood in the elevator.</p><p>"To talk to him."</p><p>Chloe was right behind him and seconds later, the doors to the Watchtower were pushed open.</p><p>"Knock much?" Oliver asked with narrowed eyes.</p><p>Bruce looked toward the two of them and raised his eyebrows a little, "I figured the alarm was enough to let you know I was coming up."</p><p>He scowled at that. "You realize a few seconds more and we would have all been trapped in here with no air right?"</p><p>Chloe kept her arms crossed over her chest, mostly because she hadn't been able to find her bra and she was feeling pretty self conscious as it was, "and you could have just called and I would have let you in." She told Bruce.</p><p>Bruce smiled a little when Chloe spoke and looked at her then back at Oliver, "don't worry, I wasn't planning on letting the alarm stay on for that long," he turned to Chloe and winked, "what would the fun in that be?"</p><p>Oliver's jaw tightened. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>He looked at Oliver for a moment then stepped closer, his face growing serious, "I came into town to investigate the explosion," he informed him.</p><p>Chloe paused and looked from Bruce to Oliver then back, "the police haven't been able to find a lot of incriminating evidence, I've been listening."</p><p>"We haven't had the news on this morning," Oliver said, his voice growing quiet as he moved over to the computer terminal.</p><p>"The news won't tell you much," Bruce told him, looking between the two of them for a moment then walking over to the desk and pulling a folder from the inside of his jacket's inner pocket. "These are the reports I ran on the substances this morning, I have handed J'onn a copy of the files."</p><p>"How did you get here and run a bunch of tests already? And how do you even know J'onn?" He shook his head, staring at the other man.</p><p>Bruce simply raised an eyebrow at him then opened the files, "there is a chemical that was used to start the fire, a substance that I had never seen anywhere other than in your doctor's files," he glanced at Chloe, "I believe it's a substance found in those meteor rocks you mentioned so often in your earlier work."</p><p>"He used kryptonite?" Chloe asked with a frown, forgetting about her lack of bra and dropping her arms as she walked over to the desk and looked down at the files Bruce had placed there.</p><p>"He wanted us to know it was him," Oliver said flatly, leaning against the desk, his jaw tightening. "Not that there was really much doubt."</p><p>Chloe looked at the files in silence for a second then blew out a breath, looking over at Ollie, "he's mixing kryptonite with other things, that makes everything he does even more dangerous, the explosion alone could have affected more people."</p><p>Bruce considered Chloe for a moment and raised an eyebrow, "I'll observe the survivors closely in that case."</p><p>Oliver stared at Bruce for a long moment. "How many died last night?" Somehow he was pretty sure the other man would know already.</p><p>After a pause, Bruce looked down, "two."</p><p>Her stomach dropped and she pursed her lips together then looked over at Oliver. She knew even if everyone had survived, if one person had gotten badly injured, that would have been enough for him to blame himself, but two lost lives made this a lot worse.</p><p>Oliver looked away, his throat going dry. He rubbed a hand over his face, then shook his head and moved toward the kitchen wordlessly.</p><p>Chloe watched him then took a deep breath and looked over at Bruce, "did you find anything else?"</p><p>"Not anything that isn't here," he told her, lifting the folder.</p><p>Nodding a little, she pursed her lips together, "thanks for bringing that over, but would you mind if we met later to discuss it?"</p><p>Bruce watched her for a moment then shook his head, "give me a call, I'll be in town for a while longer."</p><p>She nodded slightly and smiled a little at him.</p><p>"Good luck," he told her, nodding in the direction Oliver went in.</p><p>"Thanks," she murmured and watched as Bruce walked back toward the door then followed Oliver to the kitchen quietly.</p><p>He stood at the sink silently, staring down at it for a long moment, even after he felt her standing there.</p><p>Chloe didn't say anything, she walked up to him after a moment and wrapped her arms around him as she stood behind him, and placed a kiss on his shoulder blade.</p><p>Oliver shut his eyes, swallowing hard. "Those people were killed because Lex wanted to send me a message."</p><p>Her arms tightened around him, "I'm sorry it happened, Ollie," she whispered, "but you can't blame yourself, Lex is a sick man, and the best thing we can do is stop him."</p><p>"Oh, we'll stop him," he agreed with a slight nod, his jaw tightening again. "Even if it does mean messing with his mind."</p><p>With a deep breath, she pulled back a little and tugged on his arm so he would turn to face her, "if we all agree that that is the best way to deal with this."</p><p>He slowly turned around to look at her, blinking back the blurriness clouding his vision. "I know."</p><p>Her chest tightened as she looked up at him and she cupped his cheek in her hand, "we'll look over the files and have a meeting with the others."</p><p>He nodded slightly, not quite meeting her eyes. "All right."</p><p>"Hey," she said gently, looking at him.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Don't pull away," she said quietly, turning his head a little so he would look at her, "you can be angry, you can be frustrated, you can be scared but you don't have to be any of it on your own."</p><p>Oliver swallowed hard and reluctantly met her eyes, his chest tightening at her gentle expression. Wordlessly he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face against her neck.</p><p>Chloe closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around him, letting out a deep breath as she rubbed her hands over his back and turned her head, pressing a kiss to his head then leaning her cheek against it, "I'm here." She whispered quietly.</p><p>His arms tightened around her. "You may know this already, and if you don't, you should," he murmured. "I get kinda lost when you're <i>not</i> here."</p><p>It was her turn to swallow hard and although she kept her eyes closed, she could feel them getting warm, "I do too," she admitted in a quiet voice, "we're a team, Ollie."</p><p>Oliver pressed a kiss to her shoulder, not letting her go. "A <i>good</i> team," he whispered.</p><p>She tightened her hold on him even more, if that was possible, and lifted her head again, pressing a kiss to his temple, "yes, we are."</p><p>"And we're going to stop Lex," he murmured. "Together."</p><p>"Yes. We are." She repeated firmly, because there was no way she was going to let Lex hurt him, physically or otherwise.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Watchtower, Metropolis -- January 25, 2011</b>
</p><p>Chloe and Oliver had had a meeting with the rest of the team, including J'onn that night, who had helped explain to the others what Batman had found and what it meant from a police  investigation point-of-view. There wasn't any evidence that could legally point to Lex as a suspect, especially because as far as the general public knew, Lex Luthor was still a dead man. He had been smart and careful enough, as suspected, to keep himself out of sight and only reveal himself to the people who he <i>wanted</i> to know he was alive, but with no evidence to prove that he was.</p><p>He was a ghost, and right now, he could get away with anything. And they knew he was going to use that power for as long as he could.</p><p>Chloe had contacted Bruce the previous night and had asked him to come by the Watchtower, Oliver wasn't happy about it of course, but they both knew they needed all the help they could get and Batman was obviously resourceful and they could use his expertise, so he would be arriving at the Watchtower in a few hours.</p><p>She sipped on her coffee and went over the files he had left them once more. They had agreed on doing whatever it took to keep Lex behind bars once they managed to capture him, including using J'onn's powers to mind-wipe him if necessary and make him confess for his crimes, the idea didn't sit well with her, but if it was going to keep Ollie and the others safe, Lex's well being was low on her priorities list.</p><p>Oliver, on the other hand, was pacing the Watchtower floor slowly, glancing at Chloe occasionally as he walked. He hadn't left the building since they'd returned after the explosion a few days before, and even though things weren't really awkward between the two of them anymore, he was more on edge than ever. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "We need to figure out where he's hiding."</p><p>"I know..." she sighed softly, looking at him as she set the folder on her lap, "we've been watching every security footage we can access, Vic is watching every archive he can get his hands on, but nothing. No sign of him."</p><p>He raked a hand through his hair. "I know. I know, but there has to be something. Something we're missing, some piece that's just out of place."</p><p>"There has to be," she agreed and sighed, leaning back against the couch, "if only there was a way to magically track him down."</p><p>Oliver paused in his tracks and turned around to look at her. "Wait. Say that again?"</p><p>Raising an eyebrow, she looked over at him, "that there has to be something we're missing?"</p><p>A smile tugged at his lips. "No, the other part. About there being a way to magically track him down." His eyes were suddenly a little brighter than before.</p><p>"What about it?" She asked, watching him closely, she could tell he had an idea, she just couldn't imagine what it could possibly be.</p><p>He smiled at her. "Well, we do happen to have a friend who knows a thing or two about <i>magic</i>."</p><p>Chloe blinked, looking up at him, "you think she could...?"</p><p>"She does still owe me a favor." Oliver nodded a little. "It's worth a shot."</p><p>Pursing her lips together, Chloe nodded slowly, "we should find out where she is."</p><p>"I have her card in my briefcase. I'll give her a call," he said.</p><p>She looked at him and bit down on her bottom lip, "okay."</p><p>He cocked his head to the side. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"Nothing," she told him, raising her eyebrows a little, "just hoping she doesn't turn me into Lois again."</p><p>Oliver paused at that for a moment. "Remind me to thank her for that when we see her."</p><p>Cocking her head, Chloe raised her eyebrows, "why?"</p><p>He shook his head and stepped toward her. "Because it's what made you realize where you belonged," he said quietly, gazing at her intently. "Remember?"</p><p>She looked at him for a long moment then nodded slowly, "of course I remember," and then she made a face, "but I could do without the body-switching."</p><p>A smile tugged at his lips. "Well, true. I happen to like your body quite a lot," he murmured, his gaze sweeping over her.</p><p>Chloe paused at that then grinned a little, shaking her head.</p><p>He grinned back at her, resting one knee on the sofa beside her and leaning down, kissing her intently.</p><p>Her eyes widened a little and it took her a second before she returned the kiss, lifting a hand to cup his cheek.</p><p>Oliver smiled at her reaction, sliding a hand behind her neck and gently stroking her skin there with his fingers as he kissed her. "Like I said," he murmured, brushing his nose against hers.</p><p>She blinked her eyes open and looked up at him, raising her eyebrows a little, "like you said what?" She asked, sincerely not sure what he meant, she wasn't really sure what they were talking about at the moment.</p><p>He grinned. "I like your body the way it is," he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose.</p><p>Chloe smirked a little and rolled her eyes, "you can show me later, I'd like to have my clothes on when Bruce comes by this time."</p><p>"Oh, I'll definitely be showing you later," he returned with a smirk.</p><p>She considered him for a moment then kissed him once more, "go send her a message."</p><p>This time he was confused. "Who?"</p><p>"Zatanna, Ollie," she grinned a little, glad she wasn't the only one affected by their closeness.</p><p>"Oh." A sheepish grin touched his lips. "Right. Zatanna." He dropped a kiss to her forehead and reluctantly headed to get his briefcase.</p><p>Chloe grinned and shook her head, sitting back against the couch and looking down at the files once more.</p><p>He was still grinning as he opened his briefcase and began to shuffle through his organizer that held all the business cards he'd collected. Zatanna's was toward the front and he smiled as he picked up his cell phone and dialed her number.</p><p>She pursed her lips together and watched him, if they could get Zatanna involved, maybe she'd have an even better solution about ways to deal with Lex, besides, another helping hand to the team couldn't hurt.</p><p>When she didn't answer, he left her a message, telling her it was important and leaving his phone number, as well as Chloe's on the voicemail message. Then he turned to Chloe and started to say something when Bruce stepped inside the Watchtower's main room. Oliver blinked and looked at him and then at Chloe. "How did you--"</p><p>"I added myself to the access panel yesterday," Bruce explained. "I hope that's all right." He glanced over at Chloe with raised eyebrows.</p><p>Chloe raised an eyebrow and nodded, standing up, "yeah, that's... okay." She paused for a moment, "thanks for coming," she added.</p><p>Oliver made a face as he turned away, tucking his things back into his briefcase.</p><p>Bruce nodded at her. "Of course."</p><p>She watched Ollie for a moment then walked over to Bruce, "we read the reports, thanks for bringing them," she told him, "do you have any idea where Lex could be?"</p><p>He shook his head a little. "No, but I'm keeping an eye and ear open for any leads," he told her with a smile. "We'll find him, Chloe. Don't worry."</p><p>Nodding slightly, she took a deep breath and tried for a smile, "let me know if you find anything."</p><p>"Of course." He paused for a moment, then glanced over at Oliver, a smirk tugging at his lips before he turned back to Chloe once more. "I was thinking of staying in town for another night. Perhaps we could get together for dinner."</p><p>Oliver's jaw tightened a little and he turned to look at Bruce, pinning him with a glare.</p><p>"Yeah," Chloe nodded a little, glancing at Oliver out of the corner of her eye but not really looking at him. She knew he didn't like Bruce, but the man had done nothing but help them, well aside from the whole kidnapping them part, "we can do that."</p><p>Bruce smiled at her. "Wonderful. How do you feel about Chinese food?" he asked.</p><p>She nodded a little, "Chinese sounds great," she cleared her throat a little, "Ollie?"</p><p>His expression was completely neutral and guarded as he rearranged the things in his briefcase. "Sounds great. Have fun."</p><p>Bruce raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and held his arm out to Chloe. "Shall we?"</p><p>Chloe blinked and raised her eyebrows, now fully turning to look at Oliver, frowning, "you're not coming?"</p><p>"I'm not very hungry," he responded. And the last thing he wanted to do was sit at some cozy Chinese place and watch Bruce flirt with Chloe the entire time. Then again, the thought of the two of them going <i>alone</i> to sit in a cozy Chinese place didn't exactly sit well with him, either.</p><p>She took a deep breath and looked at him for a moment longer, "if you're sure..." she said quietly and she knew he wasn't happy about the situation, but it wasn't like she had any plans on doing anything other than eating, besides, Bruce was still standing there, holding his arms out to her. She hesitated for a second then took his arm before pausing and looking at Oliver again, "please stay here?"</p><p>His expression betrayed nothing as he turned to look at her. "Just for you."</p><p>Her chest tightened a little and she held his gaze, "I won't be long," she promised quietly then picked up her purse and glanced at Bruce, trying for a small smile. She was less than thrilled about leaving Ollie behind, but she planned on going to a place that was just downstairs and she didn't want to be gone for long.</p><p>Bruce patted her hand lightly and covered her hand with his own. "We could bring you back something if you'd like," he offered, glancing over at Oliver with a raised eyebrow. </p><p>"I'm good," he responded evenly, turning away from them once more and heading toward the stairs. "Have fun." <i>Just not too much.</i></p><p>Chloe watched Oliver for a second then let out a breath before starting toward the double doors with Bruce, she was going to bring him food either way, it wasn't like she didn't know what he liked.</p><p>"I'm sure we will," Bruce responded, leading her out the door with a knowing smile.</p><p>She shook her head a little then walked toward the elevator, "did you two act that way in school too?" Chloe asked Bruce curiously.</p><p>"Oh, this is nothing. We were tyrants in school," he said with an amused smile.</p><p>"I'm sure the staff was glad to see you go." She pointed out, smirking slightly.</p><p>"Tremendously glad," he said, chuckling as he led her onto the elevator.</p><p>Chloe glanced toward the door of the Watchtower's main doors once more before stepping inside the elevator car with Bruce, letting go of his arm and pressing the button to the bottom floor, "I really am glad you decided to help us with this, you seem incredibly resourceful," she said quietly, looking up at him.</p><p>Bruce studied her for a moment. "I don't make it a habit of working with others," he admitted. "But your team is pretty resourceful, as well and perhaps it's time to pool our resources for the greater good."</p><p>"A world free of Lex Luthor," she sighed softly and nodded a little, "he makes getting rid of alien dictators look like child's play."</p><p>At that, he arched an eyebrow. "Let's just hope they never team up."</p><p>"Oh that already happened," she smirked a little and looked at him, a knowing look on her face, "more like said dictator used Lex as his puppet and that nearly got Lex killed but of course, we weren't that lucky."</p><p>"You've led a very interesting life, haven't you?" he asked, bemused.</p><p>"Clearly, I'm not the only one," she told him, raising her eyebrows and looking at him, "I mean, Gotham is full of interesting people..."</p><p>He grimaced. "Don't remind me."</p><p>"Do you do everything by yourself?" She asked quietly, cocking her head a little.</p><p>Bruce smiled mysteriously. "I can't reveal all my secrets now, can I?" He winked at her.</p><p>Chloe shook her head a little and looked up at him, "I don't see why not, you can even get past my security, I'm sure you know all of my secrets."</p><p>"Not all of them," he said with amusement. "Just what's been necessary."</p><p>"What <i>you</i> consider necessary anyway," she pointed out with the raise of an eyebrow.</p><p>"Precisely," he agreed with a smile, offering her his arm once more as the elevator doors slid open.</p><p>Chloe's eyes narrowed a little as she looked up at him but she took his arm anyway and smirked a little, she would have to see about returning the favor.</p><p>* * *</p><p>
  <b>Watchtower -- January 25, 2011</b>
</p><p>Oliver sat on the rooftop of Watchtower, staring out over the city even as the sun began to set. His entire body was tense, his jaw tight as he sat still and silent. He'd spent a half hour talking with Mia on the phone earlier. She sounded a little down, but otherwise okay. He raked a hand through his hair and shut his eyes, listening intently to the sounds of the city.</p><p>Chloe got back and looked around the main floor, "Ollie?" She called, her stomach clenching when she didn't see him as soon as she stepped inside the main room, but relaxing a little when she saw the window that led to the stairs to the roof open. It was freezing outside, but she knew he liked sitting up there... especially when he wasn't in a good mood. She placed the take out she had brought him on the kitchen counter and made her way out of the window and up the stairs, pulling her coat around herself as the wind hit her, it was even colder up there, but she wasn't surprised to see him sitting there, his eyes closed and she approached him quietly then moved to sit down next to him.</p><p>"Have a good time?" he asked, his voice quiet. He didn't open his eyes.</p><p>"It was okay," she told him, keeping her eyes on him, "I brought you food."</p><p>"Thanks," he said quietly, reluctantly opening his eyes to look at her. He managed a small, faint smile.</p><p>She looked at him for a moment then shifted closer, "have you been out here long? It's cold."</p><p>"Not <i>too</i> long," he answered, hesitantly wrapping his arm around her shoulder. After all, an hour wasn't that long, was it?</p><p>Chloe shivered a little when she shifted even closer and wrapped both her arms around him, "liar, you're freezing."</p><p>"I'm cold-blooded," he joked.</p><p>"Hardly," she told him, taking the arm he had around her shoulder and pulling it inside her coat, wrapping it around her waist instead then pulling her coat around him as much as she could.</p><p>He gazed at her for a moment, then slid his other arm around her as well.</p><p>She placed a hand on his arm and rubbed it a little, "are you okay?"</p><p>"I'm all right." He rested his head against hers.</p><p>"Hungry?" She asked quietly, turning her head and brushing her nose against his cheek.</p><p>He shivered a little at her actions, pulling her closer to him in response. "Not for food," he murmured against her ear.</p><p>Chloe couldn't help but smile at his answer, she shifted closer and nibbled on his cheek lightly, "I guess that's one way to get warm."</p><p>Oliver smiled a bit at that, brushing his nose against hers. Then he closed his eyes. "I uh...I did some research while you were out."</p><p>At that, Chloe pulled her head back just enough to look at him, "yeah?"</p><p>He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "On the people who were killed," He admitted.</p><p>Her face fell and she closed her eyes for a moment pulling him closer, "Ollie..." she opened her eyes again, she didn't think that would make things any better, if he put a face to the people who died, it would make it more real, but apparently it was too late for her to stop him, so she could at least listen, "what did you find out?"</p><p>Oliver's arms tightened around her just a little. "One of them was...a single mom with a kid," he murmured. "The other was an older man, no family." He swallowed hard.</p><p>Chloe's face fell and her chest tightened, "does the kid have a dad?" She whispered, watching him.</p><p>"I've got Vic looking into it," he murmured, slowly pulling away from her and looking out over the city. "And whoever his guardians turn out to be will find an anonymous money transfer into his savings account by tomorrow morning."</p><p>Nodding a little, she let out a breath, lifting the hand she had around his stomach to his cheek, "I think that's a good idea."</p><p>Oliver exhaled slowly, leaning into her touch. "Do you think he ever feels regret or guilt for the things he does?"</p><p>"Lex?" Chloe shook her head a little and blew out a breath, "no... I think he used to, when he was younger, I think he honestly thought he was trying to do good, but not anymore."</p><p>He looked away, staring out over Metropolis. "Zatanna called. She's in Vegas." His voice was soft.</p><p>Chloe watched him for a long moment then nodded, turning to look at the city too, "did you talk to her about anything?"</p><p>"Just told her we'd like to come see her. Figured it'd be a better conversation to have in person," he admitted, glancing at her sideways.</p><p>She considered for a moment then nodded, "yeah, probably better to avoid phone conversations if we can."</p><p>"My pilot's on standby for tomorrow, if you think you'll be ready by then." He was quiet for a moment.</p><p>Pausing for a second, she nodded a little, "I think that should work."</p><p>"Unless Bruce Wayne intends to steal you and take you with him back to Gotham." He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>At that, she raised an eyebrow back, "well, I did want to explore Gotham and make a visit to Arkham to make sure their facilities are secure enough..."</p><p>Oliver grimaced and looked away.</p><p>Chloe rolled her eyes a little and shook her head, "Ollie, I'm <i>joking</i>." She told him, "I already have one superhero billionaire playboy in my life and that's enough."</p><p>A smile tugged at his lips and he glanced at her again. "You realize that description of me isn't really accurate, right?"</p><p>She cocked her head a little and squinted, pretending to think, "is it a multi-millionaire?"</p><p>Oliver smirked at that. "No, the billionaire part was still accurate."</p><p>"Is there a more politically correct term to those who save people on a nightly basis than superhero and I'm not aware?" She asked, considering.</p><p>"I think the term 'superhero' is more applicable to some of our super-powered allies," he told her with a slight shrug.</p><p>Chloe rolled her eyes a little, "no, it's applicable to anyone who does extraordinary things to save people. And you're in that category."</p><p>An amused smile tugged at his lips. "If you say so."</p><p>"I do say so," she told him sternly.</p><p>Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Getting pushy there, Watchtower."</p><p>Her stern expression dissolved into a smug one, "just making sure I got my point across, Arrow."</p><p>He smirked at her. "You usually do." There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.</p><p>Chloe smirked back and leaned in, pressing her lips firmly to his then pulling back after a moment, "usually isn't good--" she paused and blinked when she felt something wet and cold on her nose, she looked up at the sky, "looks like the snow came earlier than they predicted."</p><p>Oliver looked up at the sky, as well, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like," he murmured.</p><p>She shifted a little closer and wrapped both arms around him again, watching as it started to snow heavily within seconds.</p><p>He leaned his head against hers, holding her close to him and pressing a soft kiss to her temple. At that moment, there was nowhere in the world he'd rather be.</p>
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